Catholic Philosophy | Modern Psychology

DMU is the first and only graduate school that integrates the science of psychology and proven therapeutic methods with the Catholic-Christian understanding of the person, marriage and the family.

The DMU Model: A Catholic
Perspective on Psychology

DMU is forming professionals in the mental health field and other psychology-related careers to meet the growing demand for men and women who respect the dignity and uniqueness of every client.

As a result of our clinical programs, DMU clinicians go beyond simple symptom relief to facilitate true healing and growth for clients and their families. Every one of our programs educate students so that they will help clients develop virtues and flourish as human beings.

To assist in articulating this integrated understanding of each client’s complete reality (spiritual, emotional, temporal), the DMU faculty – clinicians and theoreticians, sociologists, philosophers and theologians – meet regularly in a research group call the Faculty Integration Project.

A decade of this multidisciplinary work has resulted in “The DMU Model” of integration.

This DMU Model brings together scientific psychology’s theoretical and empirically-based knowledge with philosophical and theological insights about the person from the Catholic faith.

At DMU, the model or basic outline of the person that is used as a basis of training is called the Catholic Christian Meta-model of the person. This model presents a view of the human person as a whole, bodily, rational, emotional, interpersonal being with a call to grow in virtue and to flourish through his personal vocation or calling in life. The foundation of this Catholic Christian perspective is twofold. It finds its theological and philosophical principles in the teachings of Christianity and the Catholic Church. These principles are directly in line with and augmented by research and biological bases which are brought forward by the fields of science and psychology. This two sided approach enables those who study the Catholic Christian model to approach an understanding of the person from the perspective of his anthropology and spirituality as well as from the bodily and biological realities of his personhood. By using this model, clinicians who are trained through Divine Mercy University are able to begin their careers as clinicians and counselors with a diverse and holistic approach, enabling them to work with clients of diverse age, gender, ethnicity, and religion. The goal of this program and the Catholic Christian model of the person is to produce clinicians who are able to go out into the world and bring exceptional psychological aid and counseling services to any person who comes to them in need.

This training model also emphasizes the particular vocations of both the alumnus and the people he or she serves. It views DMU graduates as having a vocation to heal, and believes that the many elements of each person’s specific state in life – single, married, raising a family, professional, member of the clergy – will play an integral role in the way in which they are treated or ministered to. The goal of this program and the Catholic Christian model of the person is to produce clinicians who are able to go out into the world and bring exceptional psychological aid and counseling services to any person who comes to them in need.

To learn more about the DMU Model and how it applies to the clinical programs, see the answer to What Does it Mean to Practice Psychology from a Catholic Perspective? in our Admissions FAQs.

“Throughout my years at IPS, the faculty challenged me and my fellow classmates to question and think deeply about the dignity of the human person, suffering, and health. Today, my clinical work often centers on encouraging clients to acknowledge their dignity and worth, to find meaning in their suffering, and to build a life worth living with both the comfortable and uncomfortable aspects.”Patrick Graveline, Psy.D., Class of 2007, Germantown, MD

“My education has been invaluable in my day-to-day experience of therapy with college students. I learned to look at the whole person: spiritually, intellectually, physically, and psychologically; to both distinguish issues in each area as well as identify the overlap that exists between the categories in any given person. IPS gave me the tools necessary to continue the integration of faith and psychology in my career as a therapist.”Kate Ebeler, LCPC, M.S.-Plus graduate 2010, St. Louis, MO

“The professors provide an invaluable perspective on the compassion crucial in addressing mental health issues. Moreover, the focus on psychology in terms of man’s physical and spiritual existence equips each student with a full understanding of what it means to be psychologically healthy.”Anna Adams, M.S. graduate, South Bend, IN

“After struggling to integrate psychology and theology on my own, I was relieved to land at IPS where professors had been wrestling with the same things…My current practice is truly indebted to the formation I received there, which continues to help me better understand and serve my clients.”Peter Martin, Psy.D, Class of 2009, Wichita, KS

Divine Mercy University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award masters and doctorate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Divine Mercy University.